There are many technical challenges and technical considerations facing the designer of computer games executed on devices having a user interface, such as designing a controllable user interface in the context of available computer devices and resources, which may be limited.
These problems can be particularly marked in the context of computer games, where a screen may have to display many different game components for active engagement by a player.
Many games are downloaded from a remote server over the internet and then stored on a user device. A technical challenge in the context of computer games can involve enabling a game to be fun, accessible and compelling even when there is limited bandwidth available. This may especially be the case when a high speed internet connection is not available such as when a game is being played on a smartphone or tablet without Wi-Fi access. Another significant challenge is that of user engagement. Engagement involves designing gameplay to be engaging and rewarding to players. This typically requires games to be easily understood at their simplest or introductory levels, providing rewarding gameplay with simple to complex game mechanics, and becoming progressively more challenging so that players are not bored, but remain engaged and develop rewarding skills.
The contemporary online environment presents to game developers a large number of input parameters that may be used to determine game functions and control the behaviour of objects displayed on a user interface. For example, social networking websites, such as Facebook, allow game apps to automatically retrieve information about players and other users of the social network to automatically alter the gameplay characteristics on the basis of this retrieved information. How to translate this sea of available information into useful input parameters to develop engaging games is a further technical challenge.
There are therefore many technical challenges when designing computer implemented games, particularly in providing a challenge to a user or player that is engaging and rewarding so as to provoke repeat play. This may, but not exclusively, apply to “casual games”.